ADHD patients take meds for more than studying!

I was listening to NPR this week and heard a story on the use of Adderall and Ritalin on college campuses by students who purchased the drug from other students as a study enhancing device or as a “mind enhancer.” At first I was worried that my ADHD patients were taking part in selling their ADHD meds. Then I began thinking about why Adderall and other ADHD meds were being used liked this and the mechanism of action for these meds.

It is true that the use of stimulant medication in non-ADHD people will help them hyperfocus. However, isn’t it interesting that we do not hear of the non-ADHD person using this medication to go to the grocery store, or to go to work? These college students are enhancing a property that they may already have, i.e. ability to concentrate. They just want a little more enhancement to make their life a little easier when it comes to studying.

People who have ADD or ADHD struggle with distractibility and lack of focus in all aspects of living not just studying. This can include motivation in getting up and getting started with the day, doing the laundry, taking out the trash, cleaning their room, going to school or to work. The fact of the matter is that stimulant medications SLOW down hyperactive people as opposed to SPEEDING up the non-ADHD person. In the process of slowing down, the ADHD person is able to look around and notice things that otherwise would be flying by them. This slowing mechanism is needed for everyday life not just for studying. Sure an ADHD person will have to study and that feat alone can be an almost impossible task if the person is not taking ADHD medication. Studying and prolonged concentration for the ADHD patient is similar to trying to hold in your stomach muscles for hours at a time; impossible for most of us!

These college students who have not been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and take Ritalin and Adderall to get through their studies are simply getting extra help. My message to these students selling or giving their ADHD meds away would be to stop! It not only can harm those without the condition but may propagate the idea that these medications are harmful for you, the ADHD patient. These “mind enhancers” or as some call it cosmetic neurology for non-ADHD people is NOT why I prescribe ADHD meds. My role as a physician for ADHD patients is to determine how to help these patients live their lives as normal as possible and in many cases ADHD medication is necessary not an option.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you know of anyone who has taken ADHD meds without a prescription?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Krutka, MD

Dr. Krutka is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her practice includes all ages of patients from newborns to young adults. Her areas of interest include attention...read more